Dress Code for Clerkship Rotations

Clean, professional “short” white lab coats that clearly identify that students are from CHSU-COM and distinguish them from physicians and other health care professionals must be worn by students when with a patient and/or on rotation unless other attire is specified by the department or service (e.g. scrubs in surgery or obstetrics).

Students must dress professionally and maintain a well-groomed appearance. Attire is business casual but also includes the following:

  • Whitecoat – clean, pressed, well-fitting, and with a name badge (e.g. “Student Doctor XXX”) clearly visible and worn above the waist. In some specialties or settings, a preceptor may request a white coat not be worn. In this case, the name badge must be worn on the student’s clothing above the waist.
  • Headwear is not permitted except for that required for religious observance or a medical purpose.

Scrubs should only be worn in appropriately designated areas of the medical center, such as the OR, ER, ICU, or labor and delivery unit. They should not be worn on the general medical floor unless specified as appropriate by the department/service and should not be worn in the cafeteria (except in an emergency and only if a white coat covers the scrubs). Used scrubs must never be worn outside of the hospital or to another facility, including CHSU-COM.